


Mysterious Disappearances

by mermaidxwriter



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Happy!Nico, M/M, Trans!Nico, will is a dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 16:30:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4399211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaidxwriter/pseuds/mermaidxwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will wasn't a stalker, but what he was about to say would come off as slightly stalkerish. He noticed that every Thursday, Nico left camp.  None of Nico's other friends seemed alarmed by Nico's weekly disappearances, so Will had no reason to worry. A part of him was slightly curious, though. What was so important that Nico had to completely clear his schedule once a week to do?  Will wasn't ashamed to say he had waited for Nico to return from his mystery trips by hiding in bushes outside the Hades Cabin once or twice. He just wanted to know what was going on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mysterious Disappearances

**Author's Note:**

> This is a messy one shot I wrote in the middle of the night last month and forgot about until this morning.
> 
> Also, I'm not trans so if anything in this doesn't sit right please let me know so I can fix it.

Nico was on his way to his cabin when he was ambushed by a breathless son of Apollo. “Thanks for helping out today. We were swamped after the games.”

“No problem.” He didn't mind spending time in the infirmary, though he claimed it was only because he wanted to help out. Jason saw right through it because he made a habit of mentioning just how good looking Will was. 

Will's smile was brighter than the sun, literally. “I'll see you tomorrow?”

Nico shook his head gently. “I actually have plans tomorrow.”

Will's face fell a tiny bit, but he smiled it off. “Oh okay. Have fun.”

Will wasn't a stalker, but what he was about to say would come off as slightly stalkerish. He noticed that every Thursday, Nico left camp. At first he assumed he was visiting Hazel or Reyna, but it became obvious that wasn't the case. None of Nico's other friends seemed alarmed by Nico's weekly disappearances, so Will had no reason to worry. A part of him was slightly curious, though. What was so important that Nico had to completely clear his schedule once a week to do? Will thought that maybe he was visiting his father in the Underworld or his mother's grave, but Nico usually looked rather happy when he came back, and neither hell nor a graveyard seemed like happy places to Will. Will wasn't ashamed to say he had waited for Nico to return from his mystery trips by hiding in bushes outside the Hades Cabin once or twice. He just wanted to know what was going on. 

Will was on his way back from his infirmary shift the following day when he spotted Nico sitting on the roof of the Hades Cabin. He waved. “Hi!”

Nico waved back.

Will jogged up to the porch. “Can I join you?”

Nico tried to look nonchalant by shrugging. “If you want to.”

Will climbed up the ladder on the side of the cabin and hoisted himself up into the roof. He sat next to Nico, but left a healthy amount of space between them. “Uh...this is a kind of a weird question.”

Nico shrugged and chewed an M&M. “Shoot."

“Where do you go every Thursday?”

Will is relieved to see that Nico doesn't look offended or creeped out by the question. He swallowed his M&M and answered casually. “A support group.”

That wasn't what Will expected...at all. He couldn't resist asking another question. “A support group for what?”

Nico looks at him, and Will nearly melts under his gaze. “I'm trans.”

Will almsot fell off the roof. “Oh. I uh didn't know.”

Nico snorts and there's an amused look in his eyes. “Obviously. I never told you.”

“Is that why you left after the War with Kronos?”

Nico's demeanor darkened. “You could say that, but it was a lot of things. I felt alienated because I was son of Hades and I was still trying to figure out that I felt masculine rather than feminine but I was born female. I didn't know if there were any trans kids at camp, and I had a lot of internalized homophobia, so I traveled by myself for a while. I've come a long way in terms of accepting myself. I didn't even know being trans was a thing growing up because, you know, the forties.”

It takes Will a few minutes to process what he just heard. “When'd you start going to your...support group?”

Nico chuckled. “It's a funny story actually. I came out to Hazel right after the war, but you know we're both from the olden days, so she was a little confused. Reyna could tell I was struggling with...accepting myself, so she  
found a support group for trans kids in New Jersey. I refused to go because I was still pretty much in denial, so they literally dragged me into the car, kicking and screaming, and drove me to the first meeting. I've been to every one since.”

“Getting dragged by Reyna is bad enough but Reyna and Hazel sounds like a death wish.”

“It was. But they did it out of love, I guess.”

“What do you do...at your support group?” That wasn't awkward at all Will, _good job_. 

“Usually people talk about how they felt growing up and how they figured out they were trans. A lot of being talk about their transition and stuff or coming out to family and friends. It's just a really positive place, you know? The whole atmosphere makes you feel like you aren't alone.”

Will was surprised at how much Nico had grown since the end of the war with Gaea. He was taller and filled out his shirts more, as well as more social. It was hard to think of him as the brooding emo kid he was when he first came to camp.“You look really happy.”

“You're one to talk, sunshine.”

Will sat up slightly. “I don't want to pry but I'm like super curious.”

Nico chuckled again.“I've noticed. You can ask.”

“How did your dad take it?”

Nico's face was nuetral. “He really didn't say anything to me about it. I never told him outright, but it's kind of obvious I'm not female. He calls me his son and makes sure I get my hormones every month. Hazel or Persephone probably told him.”

Will had been at camp for a long time, and he'd seen how many kids weren't claimed at all or were oretty much ignored by their godly parent until they needed a favor. “He's a better dad than most people give him credit for.”

“You're right about that.”

Will nodded. “Who else knows?”

“I'm not out, but I'm also not hiding it. All my close friends and anyone I think should know knows.”

“How come you never told me?” Will wanted to smack himself so freaking hard right now. 

Nico shrugged. “You never asked. You're the head healer, so you would've found out anyway.”

“Is there anything I should do or like not do?”

Nico thought for a moment. “Don't use she/her pronouns. Don't wake me up early,”

“What does that have to do with you being trans?”

“Nothing, I just don't like being woken up early.” Nico even made jokes these days.

I don't see why. There's an old saying _early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise_.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I don't care.”

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Nico looked up at him through those incredibly long lashes and Will almsot falls off the roof for the second time. “What did you think I did every Thursday?”

Will's ears turned bright red. "Nothing."

Nico folded his arms. “Seriously, I want to know.”

Will studied the tiles on the roof. “I thought you were visiting your secret boyfriend.”

Nico laughed. “I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have a secret boyfriend.“

Will winked. “That's the opposite of disappointing.”

Nico's cheeks turn pink.

Will decided to change the subject before he made an even bigger fool of himself.“I wonder if any of my siblings are trans.”

Nico shrugged. “It's possible.”

“How would I be a supportive brother?”

“Don't ask a shitload of questions because a lot of the time, they're still figuring it out themselves.” Nico paused to think. “Other than that, just respect their identity and use their correct pronouns.”

Will smiled. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Sharing that with me and giving me advice?”

“Like I said, you would've found out anyway.”

“Yes, but I feel special.”

Nico looked him dead in the eye. “You are special.”

Will smiled.“My mom always tells me I'm her special flower.”

Nico laughed and Will can't help but adore the sound. “I must say, you took this whole thing pretty well.”

Will gave him a look of disbelief. “I was in complete shock for like five minutes.”

"Jason was in shock for two days and Percy, Percy's probably still in shock.”

“It's a lot to take in at once. The gay part wouldn't have phased me, but I didn't expect the trans part.”

Nico raised an eyebrow.“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe you're a fortune teller.”

Will placed his fingers on his temples and began to hum loudly."HHMMMN."

Nico nearly fell off the roof laughing.“W-what are you doing?”

“Predicting your future.”

Nico wiped a tear from his eye. “Do share, O great fortune teller.”

“The great Solace predicts that you will...attend the bonfire tonight and sit next to an extremely handsome and incredibly talented son of Apollo.”

“Why can't you just ask me out like a normal person?”

Will's mouth goes completely dry for a second at Nico's bluntness. He got down on one knee, which is pretty risky given given he's on a roof. “Nico di Angelo, will you go out with me?”

Nico's full on cackling at this point, but he controled his laughter long enough to stand up.“Yes, William Solace, I will go out with you.”

Will smiled and took Nico's hand in his own, intertwining their fingers. 

Nico's cheeks are pink. “This is the part where you sweep me off my feet and we ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.”

“The only problem with that is I had experience with horse when I was nine. My mom took me to this fair in our county and they had those stinky ponies that you can ride. So I got on and I'm smiling and next thing I know I'm falling right into a stack of hay.”

Nico laughed at the thought of Will falling off a horse. “What did your mom do?”

“She took pictures and she sent them to my grandparents. I still haven't forgiven her.”

“Can she send them to me?”

Will shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

“And why is that?”

“Because we've been dating for like five minutes and I've already embarrassed myself more than enough.”

Nico tried to relate.“I embarrass myself just as much as you do.”

“Really?”

“No. I'm flawless.”

“True.” Will stood up and stretched.“I have to teach an archery class in five minutes. See you tonight?” 

Nico smiled up at him. “Of course.”


End file.
